BEST DAD EVER CONTEST
Annual event honors local fathers
AVERILL PARK, N.Y.» Local dads were in the limelight at the third annual Best Dad Ever Contest on Sunday, Father’s Day, at Summerfest in Sand Lake.
Five area fathers were honored at the event this year. They were Drew White, John Buell, Shane Fleming, Rob Ducharme and Marty Balga.
Each were nominated by a family member. Lindsay Buell of Averill Park decided to surprise her dad with his nomination. “He had no idea,” she said.
After learning that he was part of the contest, John said he thought it was cool that his daughter would nominate him.
A modest dad, John said. “I don’t think of myself as anything special.”
But Lindsay, and others, think differently. On why she nominated her father as the Best Dad Ever, “He’s always been there for me,” Lindsay said, adding that he always puts others before himself. “All of my friends, they love him to death,” the 19-year-old said. “They all consider him like a father figure.” So, these friends were all happy to cast their online votes for him in this local contest.
Furthermore, as she gets older, Lindsay said her dad is always pushing her to do what she wants to do, no matter what it is.
Each of the fathers at Sunday’s event won a prize, and a medal that their kids got to place around their necks during the ceremony.
Buell took home Best Beard title, while White was named the Handiest Dad, shortly after returning from a 10-day trip to Alaska during which he helped build a Christian Bible camp.
Fleming, of Averill Park, was declared the 2017 Best Dad Ever. A father of four, Fleming was nominated by his wife Samatha. “He’s an amazing father,” she said. “He’s always gone above and beyond for our family.”
While many of the dads in the contest are fathers to young children, contest organizer Val Balga said, “A father really is someone you look up to, no matter how tall you grow.”
Father’s Day brings an opportunity “to express our gratitude toward our fathers, for the unconditional love, support, generosity and affection and probably a few other things along the way - that our fathers offer us,” Balga said during Sunday’s ceremony.
“It can be very easy to take for granted the role that a father plays, because sometimes they’re really unsung heroes in the family, but today is the day to make sure that we recognize them.”
Balga reminded the children in the crowd to tell their dads ‘I love you.’ Because, she said, “At the end of the day the love of a child is really the biggest gift that we can give any of our fathers.”
After the Best Dad Ever Contest concluded, festivities of the 25th annual Summerfest continued. This weekend-long festival is presented by the Kiwanis Club of Sand Lake, and serves as its largest yearly fundraiser.
Throughout the three-day event, fest-goers enjoyed rides, bands, food and fireworks. Kiwanis Club secretary David Booker said, “Townspeople that attend love it.”